Iran Restarts Nuclear Facility

(CBS/AP)  A defiant Iran resumed full operations at its uranium conversion plant Wednesday, as Europe and the United States struggled to find a way to stop the Islamic republic from pushing ahead with a nuclear program they fear will lead to weapons of mass destruction.

With United Nations inspectors watching, Iranian officials removed U.N. seals that had been placed voluntarily on equipment at the facility eight months ago when Tehran agreed to freeze most of its nuclear program.

Technicians then immediately resumed work on the process that turns raw uranium into gas for enrichment.

The breaking of the seals at the facility in the mountains outside the southern city of Isfahan was the latest move of Iranian brinkmanship over its nuclear ambitions. The hard-line government's determination to move ahead left Europe and the United States scrambling over what to do next.

Iran has rejected European proposals to limit its program in return for economic incentives and shrugged off threats of U.N. sanctions. Any attempt to impose sanctions could face a veto in the U.N. Security Council from Russia and China, which have close ties with Iran.

Europe and the United States were left appealing to Iran to reconsider the proposals and waiting for Tehran to make its own offer in negotiations, while diplomats at the International Atomic Energy Agency debated how strongly to rebuke Iran.

"Closed door negotiations in Vienna are more likely to provide Iran with a face-saving way out of the stalemate but it leaves Washington doubtful that Iran will be getting the message," said CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk from the United Nations. "The impasse with Iran is clearly not going to arrive at the Security Council anytime soon."

The 35-nation board of governors of the IAEA canceled a session tentatively planned for Wednesday, and instead diplomats were holding private on how best to persuade Iran to suspend its latest nuclear activities. A resolution was introduced Wednesday evening and will be discussed at a board meeting Thursday, said IAEA spokesman Peter Rickwood. He had no details on the resolution.

Matthew Boland, a spokesman for the U.S. mission to the IAEA, described the breaking of the seals as "yet another sign of Iran's disregard for international concerns."

"We strongly support (Germany, Britain and France's) efforts to convince Iran to stop its dangerous activities," he said.

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